NL West

Now Commenting On:

Johnson striving to make most of opportunity

Email

Print

By Adam Berry and Matthew Leach
/
MLB.com |

JUPITER, Fla. -- Dan Johnson arrived at Yankees camp in February as an outside contender for a bench spot, a non-roster invitee hoping to go north with the big club. One injury changed his circumstances quite a bit.

With Mark Teixeira out until May due to a right wrist injury, Johnson has a chance to secure a significant amount of playing time in the early part of the season. He and Juan Rivera figure to be the primary first basemen in Teixeira's absence.

So, in a sense, Johnson's audition began Friday, in his first start since the Yankees learned they would be doing without Teixeira for two months. He went 0-for-2 with no major adventures or misadventures on defense.

"What I want to do is show everything," Johnson said. "All aspects, down to baserunning and fielding. Picking balls out of the dirt, positioning, everything. That's what I feel. Hitting, obviously, but this is my 13th year of doing this. I know that hitting is going to come. In Spring Training, you get different at-bats off different guys and you never kind of settle down. I know that will come, so [I need] patience with that. Other than that, it's everything."